Through the Eyes of the Night Fury
by Avatar Emerald
Summary: Before he met Hiccup, Toothless the Night Fury once flew the night skies with his family. However, his life goes from merely trying to survive to running for his life after one unfortunate event in a thunderstorm. How much did Toothless's life change before he met Hiccup? How much did it change after he met the young Viking?
1. Chapter 1: Hatched

_**Through the Eyes of the Night Fury**_

**I've always been curious about Toothless's backstory. So I decided to explore a possible history for him.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own How to Train Your Dragon; I am merely exploring a different side of the story.**

**With that said, let's begin!**

* * *

**Hatched**

A small, steady beat: that's what all life begins with.

The gentle thumping of a heart; that is what an unborn Night Fury felt in his chest as he became aware of his enclosure.

It was time.

The little dragon began to blindly struggle and kick, trying to break down the dark walls that encased it. His little claws, while still not very sharp, began to claw at the smooth texture.

Eventually, a crack formed in the shell. With his eyes still closed, the little Night Fury stuck its nose up and broke through the barrier.

A new air brushed over his snout and something bright made him wince and tighten his still-closed eyes.

But that didn't stop him. He still kicked and clawed his way out of his enclosed space. Eventually, the rest of the shell broke apart and the hatchling spilled out onto something that felt hard, cold, and rough.

Something cold lightly swept around his little body, making the little dragon curl back up into a ball and shiver. The bright something was almost blinding and made his eyes hurt. He whimpered as he covered his face with his paws, afraid to try opening his eyes.

His two earlike appendages on his head twitched as he began to hear different sounds like grunts, chirps, trickling, and rustling all muddled together.

What kind of world was this?

The baby Night Fury began to tremble as all of these things frighten him. The beating organ in his chest began to beat even harder, causing him to breathe heavily.

Suddenly, something dark cast over the bright light. The little dragon heard a gentle voice whisper:

"It's alright, little one. I'm here."

Curious about what spoke to him, the little dragon started to open his eyes. Lifting his head, he squinted to see a blurred image. Whatever it was, it was black with two green things in even intervals.

After a few blinks, the hatchling's eyes adjusted to the light and his vision became clear. He saw that it was a face from another dragon that was exactly like him, but bigger, much bigger.

The baby Night Fury yelped with happiness as it instinctively knew that this was his mother. He tried to stand up on his hind legs to reach her face, but his leg muscles weren't fully woken yet. As a result, he fell over on his back. He kicked all four paws around in the air as he struggled to get up.

The older dragon smiled at the hatchling and lowered her head. Gently and lovingly, she nuzzled him, making him squeak as her snout tickled his tummy. He playfully swatted at her face for a moment or two before embracing it and tenderly rubbing his face against it.

The female dragon then lifted her head just enough to raise him back onto his feet. She then lowered her head and the baby let got. He stumbled a little as his legs tried to support his weight. Eventually, he managed to stand up on all fours.

The mother dragon lay down as her son waddled over and climbed up into her forepaws. He nuzzled his face against her chest and curled up into a ball. The female lowered her head again and nudged the resting hatchling.

She then looked up as she heard the sound of powerful wings thumping through the sky.

At the mouth of the cave, the sunset on the horizon cast lights of red and gold. Among the sun's rays was a dark image drawing closer and closer.

The figure landed gracefully and walked into the cave. A powerful Night Fury approached his mate with a large catch of fish in his mouth.

"Alva," the female Night Fury said, "he's finally hatched."

The male dragon placed his catch down next to his mate and looked over at the sleeping baby in her arms.

"Dagna," Alva smiled as he lowered his head down to the little hatchling, "he's a strong one."

Sensing a new voice, the little Night Fury slowly opened his big green eyes and looked up at a new face.

Again, he knew instinctively that this mighty dragon was his father. He chirped in delight as Alva gently nudged his face.

"He looks like you." Dagna said as she reached over and took a cod from the pile of fish with her mouth.

"He does, doesn't he?" Alva grinned as his son swatted at his face. "And I can tell he'll grow up to be a strong fighter."

Dagna didn't respond. Instead, she ate a cod from the catch Alva brought back. After a few moment, she forcibly regurgitated part of it back out. She then offered the slimy, half-digested fish carcass to the little hatchling.

The baby Night Fury's stomach growled as he took a bit of the meal, which he had very little difficulty swallowing. As his mother ate the rest of the fish, the little hatchling ate his fill.

"So, have you decided on a name for him yet?" the male Night Fury asked.

"Actually, I was thinking that you should name him." Dagna replied.

Alva blinked as the request surprised him.

"I just thought that since he's your son, it would be more fitting if you chose a name for him." his mate explained.

The Night Fury looked at his son. The baby was so small, but Alva sensed a special power inside the little hatchling: a strength that would someday blossom into something unique.

A quality liked that deserved a fitting name.

"I know what to name him." the male said with confidence. "Thorer."

Dagna purred and nodded. That name was perfect for their son indeed.

Upon hearing the name, the little hatchling's ears perked up. He looked at his father, who smiled back at him.

"I have no doubt that someday you'll become a great Night Fury." Alva said. "You deserve a name like that."

Thorer happily chirped and crawled over to Alva. The older dragon lay down and allowed his son to climb up into his arms.

The baby Night Fury then nuzzled his face against his father's chest, lay down, and curled up into a ball.

With a full belly and knowing his parents were near, Thorer drifted off to sleep. As he slept, his tiny forepaws rested against his chest, feeling his little heart beating strong.


	2. Chapter 2: Vikings

**Vikings**

"Thorer! The sun has set! It's time!"

"Coming, dad!"

Thorer, now a juvenile dragon, got up from his place and ran toward the mouth of the cave. It had been four years since his hatching day. Now, he had grown to the size of a cat, his wings were strong enough to carry him through the sky, and his retractable teeth had begun to grow significantly. While he still couldn't breathe fire yet, the heat from the element had grown enough to keep his body warm.

"Good luck, Thorer!" Dagna said as her son ran to entrance. "And stay close to your father!"

"Don't worry, mom!" Thorer called back. "I will!"

The young dragon met his father at the edge of the cliff. Alva greeted his son with a nudge to the head and Thorer returned the gesture.

"Are you ready, son?" Alva asked.

"Yeah! Let's go!" Thorer answered with excitement.

With a mighty flap of the wings, Alva leapt off the cliff and began fly up to the sky with Thorer following close behind. Since Thorer still wasn't strong enough to fly as fast as a full-grown Night Fury, Alva slowed down just enough to keep his son within visual range.

The cold wind of the night brushed past the two dragons, but the fire inside of them made them immune to it's chilling breeze. High in the sky, the moon and stars shone down on the sea and glistened on the backs of the two dragons. Down below, the ocean shimmered as the waves rolled on the surface.

Thorer followed his father as he dipped down closer to the water.

"Now, son," Alva explained, "You already know how to use sound to find your way around in the dark. Tonight, I teach you how to hunt under the light of the moon."

"Okay, dad!" Thorer nodded, excited for the lesson.

"First, we have to find some fish."

The two dragons flew for about half an hour before Alva's keen night-vision caught the movement of fish below the waves. He stopped in his flight and hovered above the spot. Thorer saw his father's action and mimicked it.

"Remember, we Night Furies have very keen senses, especially in the dark." Alva said. "You can use those sense to find fish under the water. Can you see them?"

Thorer looked down at the water. Under the surface, which was a lighter shade in his eyes, the little dragon saw a school of fish circling around.

"Uh-huh!" he nodded.

"Very good," Alva grinned, "now watch closely."

The mighty Night Fury flew a little distance up into the sky. Thorer watched in amazement as his father swept down through the air at great speed, making a kind of shrieking sound.

Alva then dove into the water with a surprisingly small "SPLASH". In less than a second later, the Night Fury shot out of the sea with a large cod in his mouth.

"Wow!" The young dragon whispered.

Alva flapped his wings as he hovered in the air next to his son. As he at the fish, he allowed Thorer to bite off pieces of it. Pretty soon, there was nothing left of the cod.

"You ready to try?" he asked his son.

Thorer eagerly nodded and then quickly flew higher into the sky.

"Just remember," Alva shouted from below, "speed is the key! Make a catch quickly!"

"Right, dad!"

Thorer was about to dive into the water when something glowing in the distance caught his eye.

"Dad!" he called. "There's something over there!"

Alva turned the in the direction Thorer was looking. What he saw looked a large dragon glowing yellow on the sea. But the Night Fury had seen this before. He sharply drew in air as he fearfully realized what it was.

"Vikings!"

The next thing Thorer knew, his father shot up toward him and grabbed him with his forepaws. Thorer tucked his wings in close to his body and clutched at Alva's paws as he began to fly at neck-breaking speed away from the ship.

"Dad, what's wrong?!" the little Night Fury asked.

"Vikings, Thorer!" his father answered with great urgency in his voice. "We have to get away from here!"

"But why?" Thorer shivered.

"Just hang!" Alva gruffly said as he looked over his shoulder.

Thorer fearfully looked back to see a little speck of orange light slowly fade away in the distance. However, it wasn't the ship that startled him, it was how his father reacted to it that got him spooked. In all his years, he had never once seen his father even remotely scared. So just seeing him slightly frantic made Thorer feel very uneasy.

In about fifteen minutes, Alva reached their island and flew straight into the cave.

"Alva, Thorer, what's the matter?" Dagna asked when she saw her mate's unnerved behavior.

"Vikings were out on the sea tonight." Alva replied as he carefully placed Thorer down.

Dagna gasped in fear, making Thorer even more afraid. If both of his parents were afraid of these "Vikings", then they must really be something dangerous.

"Mom, dad, what's wrong?" he finally asked. "Why did we fly away from the Vikings?"

Dagna saw the distress in Thorer's face and sighed. She walked up to him and gently nudged his face.

"I suppose it's time you knew." she solemnly said.

"Knew what?"

"About those accursed creatures." Alva growled, clawing at the ground.

"Calm down, Alva." Dagna said. "You only saw the ship, you weren't attacked."

Alva cast a stern glance at Dagna before turning away. Thorer's eyes darted back and forth between his parents as he sensed tension rising.

"Thorer," Dagna said in a low voice, turning back to her son, "listen very carefully because this is very important."

The little Night Fury looked his mother with a very concerned face.

"Vikings are unlike any other creature you know." Dagna explained. "They appear to be fragile, but they possess a superior intelligence. For many years, dragons have fought with them and they have fought us."

"Then how come I've never seen them before?" Thorer asked.

"Well, we Night Furies always try to stay away from them." the female dragon said.

"But why?" Thorer said with a hint of desperation. "If we're stronger than them, why don't we fight them?"

"It's best not to engage a formidable creature like that in combat unless absolutely necessary." Dagna calmly replied, caringly nudging her son's face.

"Bah!" Alva spat. "Vikings are just cowards!"

"Alva!" the female Night Fury snapped. "You know perfectly well they're dangerous!"

"They pretend to be strong, but really they are some of the weakest creatures on the face of this earth!" Alva growled. "They don't have fangs, claws, or any kind of natural defense! Instead, they use rocks and wood to shield themselves instead and they use the skin of other animals to keep warm because their own hides are too thin! The only reason why they are so dangerous and accursed is because they have hearts of stone!"

"Hearts…of stone?" Thorer whimpered.

"That is why you must avoid them at all costs, Thorer." Alva said, lowing his tone a little bit. "Vikings don't have hearts that beat. They don't feel anything or understand the concept of emotions. They just kill dragons on sight."

Thorer shivered and recoiled as his father finished his warning.

"Alva, that's enough!" Dagna said sternly. "The important thing is that you got away!"

She then turned to her son and gently said. "Just…stay away from the Vikings and you'll be fine."

"Okay, mom." Thorer replied in a weak voice.

For the rest of the night, the little Night Fury laid curled up in a ball in a corner of the cave. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake away this fear that gripped him. He never imagined that there could be a creature so deadly, so merciless, so cunning, or so…evil.

"_They just kill dragons on sight."_

Thorer shuddered as those words from his father continued to haunt his memory as well as another phrase he spoke.

"_They don't have hearts that beat."_

Not only did those words scare Thorer, they also confused him. Just something about that didn't make any sense to him. Vikings sounded like living, breathing creatures based on what his parents said. So how could something like that be possible?

"_How can something living not have a heart that beats?"_ Thorer fearfully thought.

Eventually, exhaustion overtook the little Night Fury and he fell alseep.

* * *

_Thorer flew through the skies in a panic with the Viking ship closing in behind him._

"_You can't escape us, Night Fury!" a series of ghostly voices repeated._

_The young dragon desperately flapped his wings as he tried to gain speed, but he felt as if he was flying against a wind that was pushing him back on purpose. He couldn't fly higher because it was like an invisible ceiling was pressing him downward. He opened his mouth to scream for help, but his voice refused to work properly._

_Below him, the sea was a tempest. Its surface tossed and turned with violent waves that threatened to drown Thorer if he happened to fall into its clutches. Yet the Viking ship behind him seemed to cut through the storm like it wasn't even there._

_Thorer dared to look over his shoulder and what he saw made fear grip him so tight he felt as if the air in his lungs was squeezed right out of him._

_The Viking ship was right over him!_

_The little Night Fury shut his eyes tight, not wanting to see his life end this way._

* * *

Thorer's eyes snapped open with a gasp and he raised his head.

The cave was quiet. Light from the moon shown in from the entrance and lit the cavern with a subtle silvery glow.

Thorer's heart thumped rapidly inside his chest and he breathed heavily. His body trembled and he clawed the ground with fear. He let out a small whimper as he tried to calm himself down.

"Thorer?"

The little Night Fury turned sharply to see his father standing above him.

"Dad…the Vikings…they were…" Thorer stammered.

"Shh," Alva lowered his head and gently nuzzled the little dragon, "it's alright, son. You were just having a nightmare. You're safe now."

Thorer softly purred as he rubbed his face against his father's. Knowing this mighty protector was near began to ease the troubled thoughts in his mind.

Alva turned is body around so he could lie down next to Thorer and covered him with his large, black wing. He couldn't help but grin a little as his son rested his head against his foreleg.

"I'm sorry, dad." the little Night Fury suddenly said.

"For what?" Alva raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"For being a coward."

Feeling ashamed, Thorer hid his face between his forepaws. He felt his dad nudge his back and he looked up at his face. To his surprise, Alva showed no signs of anger or disappointment. Instead, he looked…proud.

"Thorer," he said, "do you know what your name means?"

The little Night Fury slowly shook his head.

"It means "Thor's Warrior"." Alva explained. "I named you that for a reason. You are not a coward, my son. You're still very young, but I know that someday you'll become a great Night Fury."

"How do you know?" Thorer asked.

"Because you're our son." his father said as he affectionately nuzzled him. "And I know that no matter what you do, your mother and I will always love you. As long as you stay true to yourself, then you'll become a magnificent dragon."

Thorer smiled with happiness. He snuggled against the mighty dragon and closed his eyes again, feeling safe now that his father was near. For a moment, he realized just how was very lucky to have a father like Alva: a dragon who was brave, strong, and wise.

"_When I grow up, I'm going to be just like my dad."_ the little Night Fury proudly thought as he dozed off.

"Goodnight, Thorer." Alva quietly said as he laid his head down and fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3: Storm

**Storm**

_Six years later…_

Thorer, now about the size of a wolf, opened his mouth and a purple burst of fire immediately shot from it. It hit the water with tremendous speed, creating a large splash. Fish flew out of the sea and the young dragon took this opportunity to snatch up a large salmon in his mouth.

Not even bother to chew up his meal; Thorer swallowed a delicious fish in one gulp. He let out a sigh of content as the salmon slid down his throat and into his stomach.

"Don't show off so much, young one." Dagna gently scolded her son as she hovered next to him.

"Aw, mom," Thorer groaned, "it's just some fun."

"Regardless, a dragon must always be on the look out." the female dragon replied. "You must remember all the things your father and I have taught you…"

Thorer rolled his eyes as his mother went on to recite the survival tactics that had been hammered into his head ever since his first encounter with those Vikings. Things such as "keep your wits about you", "if you have to fly great distances, only travel at night", "stay clear of Vikings", and "be wary of other dragons".

Suddenly, a quick flash lit up the sky and a loud "BOOM" seemed to rattle the sea. Thorer jerked around in surprise as Dagna looked sharply toward the west. The sun had begun to set and it was nearly dark. While flying at night wasn't a concern for the dragon, the slowly violent change in weather was.

"A storm's coming." she narrowed her eyes. "Come, let's get back to the cave."

Obeying his mother, Thorer followed swiftly behind. His wings, now strong enough to carry him at great speeds, propelled him through the sky just a little below Dagna.

The female Night Fury looked back over her shoulder to keep an eye on the storm. However, she noticed something about the lightning that seemed to be unusual. It wasn't striking the horizon at random as lightning usually does. In fact, it seemed to be striking the clouds.

Or rather…striking _something_ in the clouds.

Not to mention, it seemed to be getting closer and closer.

Dagna squinted as three dark imagines in the slowly began to come into focus. As they came out of the clouds, she gasped in horror.

Behind the two Night Furies, getting closer and closer, were three dragons: a Monstrous Nightmare, a Whispering Death, and in the center, attracting lightning to itself, a Skrill.

"Stop right there, Night Furies!" the purple Skrill ordered in a harsh, raspy voice.

Thorer, surprised by the voice, almost followed the command when his mother swept under him and lifted herself up under him, forcing him to ride on her back.

"Hang on, Thorer!" the fear in her voice was undeniable and made the young dragon nervous.

Dagna raced off at blazing speed. Thorer clutched his mother's back tightly as he looked back to see the three dragons get smaller and smaller.

Or…at least two of them were.

The dragon in the middle, the one that had spoken, turned to the giant red dragon and said something the little Night Fury couldn't quite hear. Immediately, it looked back at Thorer and Dagna. Before the little dragon knew what was happening, that dragon shot forward and was steadily gaining on them.

In about five seconds, the Skrill caught up with the two dragons and snatched Thorer right off of Dagna's back with his big talon-like feet.

"MOM!" the little dragon cried as the Skrill turned around and began to fly back toward the group.

"Shut it, kid!" the spiny dragon snapped, tightening his group around Thorer.

"LET MY SON GO, SKAGI!"

Dagna shot up in the air and clamped down on the Skrill's neck with her jaws. Her pupils were just slits filled with rage and anger. Her muscles in her legs became more visible as she wrestled with her son's kidnapper.

Skagi screeched with pain and lost his grip on the little Night Fury. Thorer panicked as the ocean rushed to meet him. He instinctively stuck his wings out and the sudden wind just stopped him short of the water.

He looked up with horror-stricken eyes as he watched his mother continued to fight with that scary dragon up in the sky. The terror in his racing heart increased as the Skrill straightened his wings and lightning suddenly rushed toward it from the dark clouds, making the sky rumble with shocking energy.

Dagna roared in pain as the white bolt of light gave her a nasty jolt. She let go of the other dragon and tumbled backwards toward the sea below.

"MOM!" Thorer screamed.

"STEINAR, THORFINN, GET THE KID!" the Skrill bellowed.

A shadow cast over the little dragon and he looked up to see the Whispering Death heading straight for him.

"FLY, THORER! FLY!" Dagna shouted, knowing she wouldn't recover in time to reach him.

Thorer hesitated for a moment, but as the spike-covered dragon got nearer and nearer, fear gripped him and he flew off.

Lightning flashed all around the little dragon as he desperately tried to escape his pursuer. The atmosphere of the situation grew more ominous as rain began to pour down from the heavens. The waves were growing steadily to a tempest and began crashing wildly against each other.

The sound of the Whispering Death's rotating teeth and flapping wings drew closer and closer. Thorer struggle and strained his own wings to stay ahead of the chaser. He dared to look over his shoulder to check how close it was.

What he saw was a large, gaping jaw filled with rows of sharp teeth ready to trap him in its clutches. Thorer shut his eyes and winced, waiting for the cage of teeth to chomp down on him.

Then suddenly, the Whispering Death let out a painful screech that sounded distant almost immediately. The little Night Fury snapped his eyes open, stopped and turned around.

"DAD!"

Thorer's heart gave a great leap as he saw his father grab the other dragon's tail with his jaws, penetrating through the skin and leaving a bite mark. Then with a tremendous display of strength, the male Night Fury threw the Whispering Death down straight into the ocean.

"STAY AWAY FROM MY SON!" Alva roared.

"STUPID NIGHT FURY!" Steinar spat. "YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!"

"DAD, LOOK OUT!" Thorer suddenly shouted.

Alva looked up to see the Monstrous Nightmare racing down toward him with the female Night Fury squirming in his clutches.

"DAGNA!"

Alva, now enraged, sped up toward the other dragon. The Monstrous Nightmare seemed to grin with pleasure as Alva approached. The red dragon then opened his mouth as gas began to build up in its throat. Alva narrowed his eyes and he quickly shot at the Monstrous Nightmare's open mouth with a plasma blast.

Thorer watched in both horror and amazement as the blast made contact with the gas and ignited it. The dragon then let out an agonized roar, it's eyes rolled to the back of its sockets, and he began to turn twist and turn almost unnaturally.

"THORFINN!" Steinar shouted.

With the red dragon incapacitated, Dagna managed to wiggle her way out of his grip. She sped past him as he fell out of the sky and into the water.

The last thing Thorer saw of that dragon was it thrashing around on the surface before sinking below the torrential waves, lifeless and still.

"Dagna!" Alva flew down to his mate with a concerned face. "Are you alright?"

"Alva, it's Skagi!" Dagna shouted in terror. "He's back!"

Alva's eyes widened at the sound of the name.

"Dagna, take Thorer and get out of here!" Alva commanded.

"Alva, you know Skagi's too strong!" Dagna replied. "We all must flee from here!"

The male Night Fury looked up at his son, then back at his wife.

"Alright." he said. "But we have to hurry!"

As the three Night Furies began to fly away, the Whispering Death, while still in the water, whipped its tail in their direction, sending a barrage of sharp spikes.

Thorer yelped as one flew just in front of his face. He then heard his parents roar and screech in pain. He turned around quickly and was shocked by the sight.

"MOM! DAD!"

Three spikes had struck Dagna: one stabbed in her left hind leg, one in her right foreleg, and one cut her right flank. Two spikes wounded Alva deep in the left flank and one cut clean across his chest.

"I TOLD YOU YOU'D PAY!" Steinar taunted.

"Oh, shut up, Steinar!"

At that moment, Thorer looked up and froze in horror when he heard the sound of that raspy cold voice.

Skargi, out of the water and now in the sky, was hovering above the family.

"What do you want, Skagi?!" Dagna snarled at the Skrill.

"Just how long did you think you could avoid me, Alva!" he grinned, ignoring Dagna. "Your species are dwindling and you know it! I'm just here to help it along!"

"Leave my family alone, Skagi!" Alva growled viciously.

Skagi's grin grew even greater as he fixed a deadly gaze on one member of the family.

"Very well, I will." he sneered. "Just hand over the hatchling and I'll spare you and Dagna's life!"

Thorer involuntary let out a fearful whimper, realizing the Skrill was referring to him!

"FLY, THORER!" Alva quickly shouted. "GO, GET OUT OF HERE!"

Thorer obeyed his father and flew away in a panic. He didn't look back, not even for a second. All he could do was listen at the sound of the wing beats beside him and behind him. Every now and then, he would hear one or both of his parents whip around and fire a shot of plasma blast at the pursuing dragon. He also heard thunderclaps all around him as the Skrill summoned lightning from the heavens. The monster would then shoot out a stream of white fire from his mouth. With each time, the stream of lightning got closer and closer.

The little Night Fury could barely breathe. His heart thundered so hard that he could feel his chest throbbing up and down. He was too frightened and dizzy to know what was happening.

But what came next, he would remember as long as he lived.

When he dared to look back, Thorer saw Skagi summoned some more lightning to his body and take aim at the young Night Fury.

Thorer couldn't even let out a scream as the lightning shot from the Skrill's mouth. He was sure this was the end of him!

"THORER!"

Suddenly, Alva charged right above his son and shot at the white fire. Before Thorer knew what was happening, a great big burst of energy erupted from the colliding attacks. He quickly found himself pushed out of the sky and tumbled down to a small island below.

All around him, everything was a huge disorienting blur. The sky, sea, and ground seemed to merge together into a large whirl of colors. Only every now and then did he see two black objects sweep across his vision.

The ground colors gradually got larger and larger until there was only a large mixture of greens, browns, and greys. Pretty soon, Thorer made contact with the ground with a hard "thud". He tumbled for several feet until he rolled right into the opening of a clump of rocks.

Thorer hit the back wall of the cave and laid flat on the floor. He shut his eyes tightly and shook his head as he fought the dizziness that was disorienting his mind. However, even after the nauseating feeling went away, the little Night Fury didn't dare leave the cave.

Outside of his hiding spot, the thunderstorm raged one. In the distance, the dragon could barely make out the roars and cries of his parents as well as Skagi's shrieks and bone-chilling voice.

Thorer cowered to the back of the cave, curled up into a ball and trembled as he listened to the commotion. He covered his head with his forepaws as the painful cries of his parents increased. His heart was now beating so hard that he was sure it would either explode or burst out of his chest.

He had never felt fear like this before. It was like a horrible nightmare that he couldn't wake up from. There nothing he could do to shake it away. The grip of terror had him ensnared in its trap, refusing to let him go.

"_Please…"_ he silently pleaded. _"Just be over!"_


	4. Chapter 4: Lost

**Lost**

When the horrifying sounds ended, Thorer, still frightened, finally emerged from the rocks. He slowly crept out, sniffed the air, and shivered as the cold rain splashed down on him.

All around him, the forest was quiet. Every now and then, lightning would flash and thunder would rattle the earth in the distance. The rain poured down in torrents, making everything soaking wet.

"Mom? Dad?" Thorer whimpered.

The little Night Fury began to search through the woods for any sign of his parents. He sniffed the air constantly, trying to pick up their scent. When he was sure the Skrill was gone, he began to shout at the top of his lungs through the storm.

"MOM! DAD!"

No answer.

"MOM! DAD! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

Still, no answer.

Thorer sniffed the air one last time. At first, he was happy to smell the scent of his parents. But anxiety began to creep in again as he caught another scent that was mixed with theirs.

Blood.

The little dragon immediately sprinted through the forest, fearing for the worst. His pulse quickened by the second as the horrible feeling was growing and growing by the second.

As he ran closer and closer to the where the scent was the strongest, he noticed that more and more trees had fallen. Pretty soon, he found himself leaping over large pits in the ground. The most disturbing thing was that the pits were becoming more and more frequent as the scent of his parents drew near.

Finally, he came to a clearing and stopped dead in his tracks. Lightning flashed across the sky and for a brief moment, lit up the landscape below. But what it showed was the thing Thorer never wanted to see.

"No…" a weak whisper escaped with his breath.

In the center of an opening of the forest, which splattered with holes, was the most terrifying thing that Thorer had ever seen in his life.

His parents lying on bloodstained grass, wings broken and dislocated, more Whispering Death spins protruding from their bodies, and each having horrible gashes in their sides.

Thorer ran toward his mother, horrified by the number of burns he saw when he got up close. Her body was as cold as ice and her eyes remained closed. A little bit of blood dripped from her mouth and there was no sound of breathing.

"Mom?" he whimpered, nudging her face. "Mom, wake up! Mom, please!"

Dagna remained unmoving.

Thorer quickly went over to her chest and placed his ear against it, hoping to feel a heartbeat.

Nothing. There was no heartbeat.

"Mother." The little dragon moaned.

From beside him, Thorer heard a weak groan. He whipped around and looked at his father. The large Night Fury's head moved slightly.

"Father!"

Thorer ran over to his father and stood over him. He saw the same burn marks along his father's neck and shoulders. Alva's chest heaved in spasms as he struggled to stay alive.

"T-Thorer?" Alva said in a weak voice.

Alva's cloudy eyes were barely opened, his breathing was shallow, and he could barely move his broken body. Seeing his father like this tore at Thorer's heart so much that his chest began to ache. He lowered his head and nudged his father's face.

"Dad…I…I'm sorry!" the little dragon choked.

"For what?" Alva replied.

"I'm sorry!" Thorer repeated. It was the only thing he could say. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"Thorer," Alva smiled as best he could, "no…no need to be…sorry."

"But that Skrill…" Thorer protested. "He was after me! Why didn't you just give me up?! You should've saved yourselves!"

"Thorer," Alva heaved, "you mother…and I…would never…never have given you up."

"But…why?!"

"Son," Alva gently said, wincing, "someday when you…when you find someone…someone to love…someone that you would do anything for…someone you would be willing to…to sacrifice yourself for…you'll understand."

"Dad, please…!"

"Listen, Thorer," Alva shuddered, feeling strength beginning to wane, "Beware of Skagi. Get away…away from here. He…he will stop at nothing…to kill you."

"But why?!"

"Just promise me…" the fallen dragon groaned, "you'll stay alive. Live on...live your life. Trust your heart and…and become who you are. Promise me."

"I…I promise." Thorer whined, feeling emotional pain rip through his stomach.

All Alva could do now smile as best he could at the young Night Fury.

"Thorer," he whispered, "your mother and I…will always be with you. We…we will always love you. And…I want you to know that…I'm so…so proud of my son."

With that, Alva breathed out his last breath. His eyes slowly closed and his head collapsed on the ground. His heart beat one more thump before falling silent and still.

"Father?" Thorer nudged his father's face. "Father!"

Nothing.

If Night Furies could shed tears, Thorer wouldn't be ashamed of letting them fall now.

His family was gone: killed by a Skrill and Whispering Death. The worst part, and the thing that threatened to rip Thorer's heart to shreds, was that he felt responsible for their deaths. The feeling of it being his fault grew stronger and stronger, making him coil away. Feeling pain, anger, and loss gather up inside of him became too much for him to bear.

Finally, he shut his eyes tight, lifted up his head, and let out an anguished roar. At the same time, lightning flashed across the sky and thunder shook the sea.

Thorer then collapsed with exhaustion, as if a club had just smacked him across the head. He didn't feel the rain pouring down on him anymore. He couldn't hear the thunder across the horizon. He couldn't even feel his own limbs. He had gone numb. The world around him seemed to have vanished. His energy just left from him.

Then the Night Fury's consciousness gave out and darkness took him.


End file.
